With more and more people using portable computers, in particular, laptops or notebooks, there may be a desire for shrinking the sizes of such computers to improve their portability and to increase their manageability. Moreover, even if the life of the batteries supplying the portable computers is improved, when a battery is not charged, it is necessary to connect the portable computer to a power supply source, in particular providing a DC current. Up to now, portable computers thus typically involved an AC/DC adapter that extends from a plug (for plugging into a wall outlet of a power supply network or supply mains) to a case, usually in the form of a small brick, and then another plug from the case to a wire which leads to another plug for insertion into the portable computer.
The computer sizes can be reduced by using an integrated power pack and as described in the U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/243542 to Chai et al. In particular, this patent application discloses an apparatus comprising a power pack for providing power to a laptop computer. The power pack may be selectively removable from and integrated with a laptop computer housing; and the power pack may comprise: a power pack housing; a battery pack; and a AC/DC adapter; the battery pack and the AC/DC adapter both being housed within the power pack housing.
This approach has a drawback in that the AC/DC adapter is not physically separated from the primary battery pack, and thus, it is not removable from the laptop housing without extracting also the battery pack. In addition, people may be obliged to carry an external adapter to supply the portable computer with a DC current when the battery is damaged, removed, or discharged. Moreover, the fact that this power pack is inside the laptop housing may increase the temperature of the housing itself. Furthermore, operating the portable computer adjacent the user's body during typical use may not be safe since the AC/DC adapter would be positioned in the bottom part of the laptop case, i.e. close to the user's body.